Kolkata, Dec 15 (IANS): Acclaimed singer Anup Ghosal, who became a household name in Bengal for lending voice to the protagonist in Satyajit Ray's 'Gupi Gayen, Bagha Baeyn' (1969) and 'Hirak Rajar Deshe' (1980), passed away at a city hospital here on Friday afternoon. He was 78.

Apart from scores of Bengali songs, Ghosal’s rendition of 'Tujhse Naraz Nahi Zindagi' in the Shekhar Kapur-directed 'Masoom' (1983) also won the heart of millions of music lovers across the country. And not to forget 'Chhoti Si Panchi' from the Tapan Sinha directorial 'Sagina Mahato' (1970) starring Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu.

Family sources said that Ghoshal was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata for some time back owing to a number of age-related ailments. He passed away on Friday afternoon after suffering a cardiac attack.

Besides being an acclaimed singer, Ghosal was also a one-term Trinamool Congress legislator from Uttarpara in Hooghly district. He got elected in 2011, when the current Trinamool regime came to power in West Bengal after ending the 34-year rule of the Left Front.

Mourning the demise of Ghoshal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Anup Ghosal’s demise comes as an irreparable loss for the entire music industry. I express my heartiest sympathies to his family members and relatives."